Shoestring Living: Frugal fixes speed home sales

Monday

Mar 29, 2010 at 12:01 AMMar 29, 2010 at 5:05 PM

Last month, a friend sold her house in 10 days. I remember a time when stories like this were so common that selling a home seemed like child’s play. I’m not sure if my friend’s story is a sign that our sleepy housing market is starting to stir, but it does cause me to think about how folks might be better positioned for home sale success these days.

Molly Logan Anderson

Last month, a friend sold her house in 10 days. I remember a time when stories like this were so common that selling a home seemed like child’s play. I’m not sure if my friend’s story is a sign that our sleepy housing market is starting to stir, but it does cause me to think about how folks might be better positioned for home sale success these days.

My husband and I have owned three homes, and we sold the first two quickly, one without a Realtor. That certainly doesn’t make me an expert, but I know for sure that there are loads of inexpensive ways to get your home looking its best. Here are a few things you can do as the seller that make a big difference to prospective buyers.

One word: CLEAN

Serious buyers have no time for dirty or unkempt houses, so whip yours into shape. “My bold blanket statement on getting your home ready to sell is the old-time saying, ‘Cleanliness is godliness,’” says Karen Ayers, broker/co-owner of Crescent Lake Realty in the Chicago suburbs. “Now that doesn’t mean you have to be religious, just clean! The absolute cheapest and easiest thing you can do for your home is to de-clutter and clean.”

De-clutter

Too many items inside your home prevent buyers from imagining their family living there and can even cause them to feel it’s too small. “Pack everything in your home that you can live without during the selling phase,” says Ayers, who runs her business with husband, Rich. “Try to borrow a corner of a family member’s or friend’s basement for storage of the boxes. That way, buyers won’t see them and think the house is too small to accommodate your belongings.”

Make a punch list

When you’re ready to list, do a final walk-through. Enter each room with paper and pen and note every small fix and touch-up needed, as if you’re about to close on the house. Whether it’s a jiggling doorknob or chips in the paint, these things stand out to buyers. Fix them and enjoy your home’s tip-top condition until you sell.

Get outside

The first thing a buyer sees is the area surrounding your home, so don’t neglect it. Ayers recommends picking up debris outside, tidying up lawn and landscaping edges with a trimmer and adding a colorful display of flowers near the entryway. “Take a look at your mailbox,” Ayers says. “If it’s leaning over and the paint is chipping, straighten it up and give it a new coat of paint.” She advises giving the front door a once over as well. “If your door handle is discolored and old, get a new one.” Attention to these minor and inexpensive details ensures buyers that your home has been well cared for; a definite advantage when it comes to getting it sold.

Molly Logan Anderson is a freelance writer who lives in the western suburbs of Chicago with her husband Mike, three kids and black lab. Join Molly on her family’s journey of living a frugal life and making financial freedom their reality.

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